Keeping a swimming pool free of debris is a primary nuisance associated with pool ownership. Many swimming pools include automatic or built in circulating and filtration systems which cause the pool water to circulate either continuously or over extended intervals. These systems are provided with a skimmer intake such that floating debris passing near the skimmer intake of such systems is sucked into that intake and collected in a trap. The trap is then periodically cleaned in a conventional manner.
In conventional systems, floating debris caught in the circulating current of the system readily bypasses the skimmer intake unless it is close enough to be sucked into that intake. The skimmer intake is usually defined in the pool wall and extends from above the surface to a short distance below the surface to enable it to ingest floating debris.
Diverter devices which extend outward from the pool wall adjacent to skimmer intakes for the purpose of enhancing the collecting of floating debris are known in the prior art. By way of example, debris diverter arms cooperating with skimmer intakes in swimming pools having circulation and filtration systems are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,152,076 to Kreutzer, issued Oct. 6, 1964; 3,244,284 to Shaffer, issued Apr. 5, 1966; 3,774,767 to Field, issued Nov. 7, 1973; 4,068,327 to Heinlein, issued Jan. 17, 1978; 4,221,662 to Joseph, issued Sept. 9, 1980, 4,225,436 to Cseh, issued Sept. 30, 1980; 4,379,749 to Roth, issued Apr. 12, 1983; and 4,455,695 to Mikhel. This litany of patents illustrates the ongoing and long felt need in the art for a skimmer-diverter assembly of enhanced efficiency and simplicity of utilization. The simplicity of utilization also involved the problem of having to remove such diverter assemblies from the pool. Coworsely, if such diverter arm assemblies remain in the pool then there is a concern that this will impair a swimmer's use of the pool.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a new and novel skimmer-diverter arm assembly of enhanced efficiency.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel skimmer-diverter arm assembly which is self-retracting to a position which will preclude impairment of the use of the pool.
These and other objects of the invention will become more fully apparent with reference to the following specification and drawings which relate to preferred embodiments of the present invention.